Germany wants sustainable solution to Rohingya crisis

Diplomatic Correspondent

27 February, 2020 12:00 AM

Rohingya crisis, German investment and manufacturing of German vehicles in Bangladesh and climate change were high on the agenda during a meeting of German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Muller and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday.

During the meeting held at the parliament office in the afternoon, Foreign Minister Momen highlighted Bangladesh’s tremendous socio-economic developments, particularly during the last one decade in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Vision 2021 and Vision 2041 that envisages the transformation of Bangladesh into Sonar Bangla or Golden Bengal as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Rohingya crisis was high on the agenda as Minister Momen requested the German Minister to consider meaningful measures compelling Myanmar to make conducive environment in Rakhine for safe, dignified and sustainable returns of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, said a Foreign Ministry press release.

Minister Muller expressed his country’s firm commitment to a sustainable solution to the crisis and Myanmar’s full compliance with International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s recent orders.

Foreign Minister Momen informed the German Minister about the year-long celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, commencing on 17 March 2020, and reiterated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join the celebration.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister expressed his deep appreciation for German technology and asked German investors to invest more in Bangladesh particularly in the Special Economic Zones and Hi-tech Parks, taking advantage of attractive incentive packages, available skilled manpower and IT professionals and a growing middle-class consumers.

He also suggested that giant German motor vehicle manufacturers like BMW build assembling plants in Bangladesh, which was appreciated by the German Minister.

The issue of climate change figured prominently in the meeting. While the German Minister highlighted German development cooperation’s particular focus on this area, Momen apprised the Minister of Bangladesh government’s various adaptation and mitigation efforts, including construction of cyclone shelters and embankments and other disaster preparedness.

Minister Momen also mentioned the government’s plan to plant 10 million trees during Mujib Barsho.

Earlier on Tuesday, Minister Muller called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. He left Dhaka for India on Wednesday.

In October last year, Foreign Minister Momen visited Berlin when he met, among others, Minister Muller.